


here the ship sails

by kalypsobean



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Cameos, F/M, Goodbyes, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 17:47:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5507057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalypsobean/pseuds/kalypsobean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Celeborn and Galadriel's last night together, in Mithlond.</p>
            </blockquote>





	here the ship sails

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nuinzilien](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuinzilien/gifts).



Her bags were packed, though she had few. Small things, mostly; things to remind her of what she'd built, and what was left behind.

"Come to bed," Celeborn said. He, of course, lay on their bed, relaxed and calm. Markedly calm, in fact, despite the fact that his wife was leaving him in only a few hours; she could hear the sea, here, and it was all she could do not to run to it and dance in the shallows, her gown growing heavy with water until it pulled her over and she sat on the sand, the waves surrounding her and laughter floating up to the stars. Perhaps the sea would take her and she could float all the way to the Promised Lands, closed to her for so long.

"I can't," she said. She touched each parcel once, moving around the room, remembering what was in each. "There's something missing. I know it."

"But you checked twice," he said. "I did, as well, and the twins. Did we all four miss something?" He stood and came to her, his arms sliding around her waist from behind, until he was pressed against her back and she could feel his cool body against hers, through their thin night-clothes. 

"It's still not right," she said. 

"We can't very well ride back to Lothlórien. You'd miss the boat," he said. Her mind went there, though; in her mind's eye she flew back to her home, as if borne by the Eagles, with wind in her hair and the clouds wet on her cheeks, like tears.

"Would that be a bad thing?" she said. "Would that be such a bad thing?"

She turned in his arms and let him pull her close again, curling so she could rest her forehead on his shoulder and her hands on his chest. He stroked her hair, the way she loved; it always calmed her, and she would be without him for so long, perhaps always.

She lifted her head and he leaned down.

 

"Grandmother!" The door crashed open, giving them barely enough time to spring apart. The twins may have had carnal appetites of their own and generally be considered mature, but neither were above making the slyest of comments at an inopportune moment. Though this time, they remained close, as if they were unable to be parted entirely, it was habit to try not to be seen.

Elladan and Elrohir, however, barely seemed to notice that they had interrupted anything, nor did they seem affected by the fact that this was also their last night in the only world they had ever known. 

"Grandmother! Have you seen 'Ninya?" Reflexively, she looked at her hand; she was so used to the weight of the jewel that she was not always conscious that she was wearing it. 

"Your cat is not in here, which, since the door was closed, you should have suspected," Celeborn said. Elrohir had the grace to look ashamed, but Elladan's face became mulish.

"She could have come in the window," he said.

"Out!" Celeborn said, his voice raised though he rarely had cause for it.

Elrohir pulled on his brother's sleeve and walked backwards until they were both in the hallway, and it wasn't long until the twins' footsteps had faded. 

"Now, where were we?" said Celeborn. She turned back towards him, smiling softly. It didn't matter, for that moment was past, but the thought made her feel warm, as if they were still young and each touch was new and exciting, and held the promise of a future unending.

 

"You should close the door," a voice said. "The twins might have seen you, and I would not like to spend my last moments with them hearing about it." 

She sighed as Celeborn's hands slowly fell away from where they were tangled in her hair. She recognised Elrond's voice, and knew he would not visit unless he had a reason. 

"They were already here, I'm afraid," Celeborn said. She turned, following him to the small balcony and the table there, with Elrond behind her. 

"I am sorry, then," Elrond said. He leaned on the wall, his eyes closed and the bottle in his hand almost in danger of falling. 

"Sit with us," she said, taking both the bottle and his hand. Even though Círdan would not be there to mind a stain on his walls, it seemed more likely that there was very little of the wine left, and broken glass was not something she wanted to deal with. She passed the bottle to Celeborn, and by the time she had managed to make Elrond sit, Celeborn had poured them each a glass. He winked at her as he slid one to her, as if making a promise she would well hold him to before dawn. However, Elrond did not leave once he had finished that glass, nor when the wine ran out. It was down to the mysteriously timely intervention of Gandalf that he left at all, though she would carry the memory of the wizened wizard dragging a near-insensate Elrond across the room for some time.

 

She sat on the bed and leaned back; though she wasn't tired, it felt relaxing to not have to stand, or sit, or have to do anything but lie still. After a moment, Celeborn settled next to her, lying on his side so that she could look up at him without having to move.

"We should just stay like this," Celeborn said. "I want to remember you this way." 

 

And then the bells sounded; it was time to board. As if she had been waiting, Mëoninya streaked towards the doorway.

"I can't blame her for wanting some peace and quiet," Celeborn said. "She might have picked someone else's rooms, though," he added. 

Galadriel laughed. This was how she wanted him to remember her; not as the Lady of the Golden Wood, not as his lover, but as herself, before everyone's expectations settled around her like a heavy robe.

"Walk with me," she said, taking his arm. "The ship can wait."


End file.
